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Weeds block sewer lines when their roots grow inside the lines to search for moisture and nutrients, and often no sign of a problem appears until sewage overflows into the associated house. Blocked and leaking sewer lines also cause structural damage, offensive odors and contamination of the water table. In pipes partially blocked by weed roots, slow flow rates cause sewage deposits to build up within the lines. Woody weeds are the most likely ones to cause damage, and householders can dig them out or cut them down and then take measures to prevent their regrowth.

1

Dig out weeds along the sewer lines by using a garden fork, removing as many weed roots as possible. Alternatively, cut off the weeds close to the ground with pruning shears or a pruning saw.

2

Cover the weed root area or weed stumps with a 3- to 4-inch-thick layer of moist soil. Water the area regularly so that it remains moist.

3

Check weekly for suckers growing from the weed roots. Suckers are above-ground shoots that grow from roots. They may appear away from the weed stumps, such as in the lawn or a garden border.

4

Put on safety goggles, gloves, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and spray 1-foot-tall weed suckers with a ready-to-use systemic herbicide designed to kill brush. Coat all the suckers' parts thoroughly. The 1-foot height ensures the suckers have enough surface area to receive a toxic dose of the herbicide. Examples of systemic herbicides designed to kill brush include solutions containing 18 percent glyphosate or 2 percent triclopyr.

5

Remove suckers when they have died, after a maximum time of four weeks. Spray suckers that are still alive with herbicide again.

Things You Will Need

Garden fork

Pruning shears or pruning saw

Soil

Ruler

Safety goggles

Gloves

Long pants

Long-sleeved shirt

Systemic herbicide designed to kill brush

Tips

Digging roots out offers a better chance of killing weeds than cutting them down.

About the Author

A graduate of Leeds University, Jenny Green completed Master of Arts in English literature in 1998 and has been writing about gardening, science and pets since 2007. An avid, lifelong gardener, Green's work appears in Diva, Whole Life Times, Listverse, Earthtimes, Lamplight, Stupefying Stories and other websites and magazines.